A Swift Costume Change!
It’s the final Sunday of the year, of 2025 and my mind is turning towards 2026. We are well into the #AdventBlogs, or I suppose they should now be called #PostAdventBlogs and todays is from Anna Edmondson who is a Head of People for Simpson Associates. So, over to Anna.
Time for a change
A swift costume change, that is.
I’ve been struggling a bit to work out how to approach this topic. Work change, personal change…I don’t feel like I really
have anything new to add here, and having weathered a fair bit of change over the last few years, my wish for this next year is really stability!
So this last week, my teen daughter has been in her school pantomime. Her school is excellent when it comes to performing arts - they’re blessed with a theatre to perform in, and inspiring teachers who put in incredible amounts of effect to coach, rehearse and crowd-control 100+ kids for every performance.
My daughter had her first main cast part as a comedy palace guard - she’s been so excited and committed to doing a great job.
Watching them perform, I was struck by how safe and confident these kids were to fully embody their roles.
We had a teenage boy fully embrace the panto dame look and persona.
A teenage girl delivering genuine comedy in an inflatable chicken suit without saying a word.
Two in a cow suit, again portraying character and comedy with movement alone.
A whole cast of teens who knew their entrances, exits, dance moves, lines, and had the confidence, audience banter and comedy timing of pros.
I could go on (obviously my own child was a comedy genius ).
The approach, here, is inclusion. No one is turned away from the ensemble, as long as they commit to rehearsals. They are supported, and in turn they support each other, creating a safe community that spans all the year groups - and I think anyone who remembers secondary school will agree that this is a gift in itself!
This inclusion and safety frees them to perform at their best - there is very little self-consciousness, just the confidence that comes with using their talents and being applauded by 150-200 audience members. It is genuinely inspiring to see, and as a parent I’m immensely thankful for it.
When I was at school, it generally felt safest not to be seen, not to stand out, not to be too good at anything (except sport!). I don’t know if this is a universal change or something that’s being done well at this school - but I am delighted and often a bit emotional to see this group of teens being encouraged to shine, and making thorough use of individual talents that they may not have known they had.
A good change. But I am left wondering how we can translate the urgency of costume changes during a show to getting up and ready to go out at home!
